The Master of Science in Nursing program at Delta State University has announced a 100% pass rate on the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) nurse practitioner examination for each of the last five years. In addition, the program surpassed the last national mean score of 396.59 with its score of 409.20.

According to the Dean of Nursing, Dr. Lizabeth Carlson, these results are especially significant considering the program has been totally online since 2001. “There has been considerable debate about the effectiveness of online learning in nursing education. Our results indicate that a high quality online program can be achieved when teaching advanced nursing programs. Another positive of offering advanced nursing practice options online is program growth. Our graduate nursing program has tripled in size over the last four years because online education is seen as feasible by working RNs. This increase in enrollment helps meet the severe shortage of primary care providers in the Mississippi Delta as up to 80% of our graduates stay in the region to practice.”